Don’t Call it a Comeback
It’s no surprise that Solar Thermal has taken the back seat to its more glamorous successor, solar photovoltaic (PV). It could be the mass marketing, the advanced technology, or the million dollar government projects – but ultimately America has its solar attention focused on PV.
Globally commercialized in the 1960’s, solar thermal is a simple concept that uses the sun’s energy to heat water. Because it is such an easy technology to adopt, the worldwide number of solar thermal systems to solar photovoltaic is 10:1. Solar Thermal is cheaper to manufacture, cheaper to install and requires less maintenance. Costing up to 1/3 less than Photovoltaic systems, before federal and state incentives (30%in California), Solar Thermal has a price advantage over a PV system. So with lower costs, shorter payback and easier maintenance, why is solar thermal not more popular?
Over the last decade, the appeal of sustainable energy has grown exponentially. As the growing solar market emerged – companies flooded the PV scene in search of the one goal: to offer quality products that will lower utility costs. Every company hopes to offer their clients the guarantee of a shorter payback period. However, the reality is that costs per watt have continued drop and production costs for PV panels have remained stagnant. As a result, PV systems still cost upwards of $25,000, which results in a payback period of over 15 years. Not exactly the cheap guarantee companies had hoped for when first investing in the technology…
Today, there are too many players and too little profit in the PV market. As America struggles to overcome its economic woes, the demand for extravagant solar systems has taken a plunge. With demand for systems at a low – there is an opportunity for Solar Thermal to use this down time to gain some momentum and increase its popularity.
When it comes to going solar, there is no right or wrong choice – but now more than ever, is the time for people to start looking into solar systems that cost less and provide a shorter payback. Solar thermal is, in most cases, the less expensive form of solar and will help a homeowner or business owner quickly reduce their carbon footprint at a lower cost.
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The Rundown: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic
When discussing Solar Technology, people assume you’re only talking about electricity and often overlook the opportunity of solar thermal. So here is a quick breakdown of the two solar technologies out there today, Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic.
Solar Thermal Heating is an affordable and easy solution to heat your water supply using the sun. This technology harnesses the power of solar radiation and provides energy for a number of hot water applications – meaning it can do everything from heat your drinking water to heat your room inside your home. The concept of Solar Thermal is relatively simple. Think of a hose left in the sun for an extended period of time – only imagine a much larger hose attached to a complex looped system. A solar thermal system consists of two main parts: a collector and a storage tank. The most common collector is known as “a flat plate collector”; a rectangular panel that is heavily insulated and sealed with large piece of glass. Inside this panel, is a copper pipe (remember the hose) that transfers an anti-freeze solution from the collector to a coil inside your hot water storage tank.
On the other end of the solar spectrum is the Photovoltaic (PV) technology. This technology is a bit more complex, and tends to be the popular leader in the solar industry. How it works: PV panels use the solar energy to separate electrons from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce energy. Translation: This technology uses the energy of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) which is why it is given its name, “photovoltaic” or PV. Photovoltaic systems can reduce your electricity consumption by 18%, but when compared to Solar Thermal, Solar Photovoltaic costs three times as much and requires up to five times the roof space for equal energy output.
How does solar water heating compare to solar electricity?
Both Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic are excellent ways to go green and support renewable energy. Both solar solutions can conserve your carbon footprint, energy consumption and utility costs. But if you can’t afford the large investment required for PV, consider the option of diving into solar water heating. Save green and go green with solar technology.
Greg Brandmeier
Vaillant Solar Systems Inc.
Solar Hot Water Experts
Tags: Photovoltaic, solar hot water, solar thermal
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